Lonesome Eyes
by AmerowolfLives
Summary: Under revision, used to me Your Not So Tough. Having no hope for a normal life with these demons inside him. Vincent now travels the wolrd as a scholar. Until he gets to the Wutain archives... Yuffitine
1. Rain

**A/n:** Well. Uh yes...Indeed...I decided to completely redo this. No, No Yuffie Kisargi2 not because of your...constructive criticism...I love flames that are constructive. Not that yours was a flame...Anyway, I was planning this after I found myself laughing at the old version. It was so hard to revise because it was so bad.

_Italics_Vincent's dreams or musings.

**_Italic_** **_Bold_**Demons speaking in his mind

**Enjoy. The new Revised 'Revised Version'**

_**Chapter One: Rain**_

_Rain. Supposedly the purest substance nature can produce. Pure, translucent drops on essence. In these days, rain is dirtied with the blood that stains the waters it evaporated from. Trivial times came after meteor, Trivial times happened before meteor. These trivialities often lead to periods of greatness. Periods of renaissance are to come, but how long will the people have to wait. For one empty shell of a man, the period of renaissance only came to him. For others, it was only about how much power you had, or how many acres of land you owned. No, that was not the case for one Vincent Valentine. He owned no land, had little money, and no power over men. For him his lives work was to know everything. The demons in his body keep him alive, he is their host. Their lives are his, and his life is theirs. When all of his friends go, he will be left. Lonely and unattached to no one else in this world. _

Vincent's shoes clunked and the damp, slightly soft ground in a forest of Wutai. He heard the heavy rain pelt the thick, wide rainforest leaves above him. Occasionally a drop of the warm rain would roll off a leave or just miss one all together and hit his body. The top of his head had became damp from this process. The stray strands of hair clung to his wet skin. The humidity in the forest was unbearable, it made it hard to breathe and move forward. Outside the forest Vincent had seen the thick unsettling morning fog begin to gather. From what he could imagine it had already settled and was causing the thick air. Vincent stopped as he came to a break in the forest. Ahead of him was a thick pit of fog. He dared not cross it until the fog had cleared. Vincent soon found himself leaning on a tree trunk with his eyes closed. Apparently the fog had made him wearier than he thought.

"_Holy will dissolve the bad...It may even destroy us if it so sees fit. Only the good will survive." Nanaki's grandfather the odd, oblong inventor had once said this before their final fight against Sephiroth. That was one of two other instances where Vincent had feared for his soul and life. He had spent his supposed last few hours in his corner of the Highwind musing, and praying for his sins. What god would hear his prayers, What god would forgive a man who harbored demons? Vincent gave up most if not all of the hope he had then. His Lucreatia had disappeared, once they defeated Sephiroth his friends would leave as well. They had homes to go to. They could build new normal lives. Nothing was left for him, nothing except to dissolve with meteor. For moments Vincent wished he could remember if he had a hometown. Though no hometown would be proud to bear him as a hero. Vincent solemnly prepared to die if holy was summoned. He was lucky to not wield a weapon that required strength, for he had none. _

"_**Vincent, host! What dream is this? No pictures! Just thoughts...This no dream I want to see."**_

Vincent scowled as he awoke to his inner demon scolding him. Scolding him for, of all things a boring dream.

"What place do you have to scold me. At least I have dreams." Vincent muttered to himself, still quite peeved at his inner demons. He heard chaos snort the loudest out of all his offended demons. He knew they all missed their dreams full of garbled screams and the sound of burning flesh as it crackled and popped in flames that they had caused. Vincent noticed that he no longer heard the small patter of raindrops in the jungle leaves. He rose from the tree and looked out through the hole in the brush. The fog still lightly clung to the air, but had became significantly lighter as the sun came out. Vincent trudged onto the thick wet grass of the Wutain field. With every step his goal became closer and closer. His goal was, of all the wonderful things in this world, the library. The Wutain library was fabled to be rich with archives of past events and musings of the world's great, yet overlooked philosophers. Wutai itself held a rich history also. Vincent was excited about all that he would learn in their archives. There was also many problems that came with studying archives. No town wanted him digging in them. Vincent was the overlooked hero of the world. No one knew of what he did. It was actually quite fortunate for him in that way, but if he were known it would be easier to study. In the back of his mind he thought that Yuffie might be able to help him, but he doubted that she would be in her town. She was probably out hunting for materia. For all he knew she could be right behind him robbing him right this moment. Vincent stopped at this sudden notion. He turned around slowly and looked back at the forest he had came from. There was nothing there except grass and tree. Vincent stared laughing at his foolishness as he strode on towards the mighty city of Wutai..

**A/n:** Short, but I still can't be happier about how good it is...Teehee. I'm sorry if I'm OOC. I don't really care. I'm doing what comes natural.


	2. The Evil of Da Chao

**A/n:** Well still not completely sure on what's going to happen in this chapter. But I have ideas. So I'll wing it. Heh, Here's alittle something about me. I'm studying philosphy right now...So

**Be Careful, You just might learn something.**

_**Chapter Two: The evil of Da Chao**_

"_I think, therefor I am. Words to remember for people like I. Though important of a saying as that is to me, it is flawed. Rocks don't think, but they are still there. I can still touch them. The grass has no mind, no musings to share, yet I still step on it. If thinking is so important then why don't the most important substances think. Air does not think of were it is blown, but we still need it and it is still there."_

Vincent casually approached the gates of Wutai. The fog of the rainstorm had almost completely past from the plains. Vincent saw the dark thunderclouds rolling back in from behind the Wutain Pagoda. He walked faster as the distant deep rumbling of thunder reached his sensitive ears. Vincent still hadn't dried off from the last storm and he still had to find a place to stay the night. He held his head high hoping to pass the gate guards without conflict. As was expected, the guards bared his path with their spears.

"What business do you have here?" The tall, slender guard asked him calmly. His beard reached down to his chest and his long hair was a dark shade of grey. His eyes were like dull grey storm clouds swirling around. The other guard was much younger and scrawnier. They in fact looked much alike. Vincent thought that they might be father and son.

"I am a scholar. I have come to look into your archives." Vincent answered calmly as he bowed his head in respect to the old man. The father and his young son looked at each other for a moment before raising their spears back up to their previous position. The old man held his hand out toward the city, beckoning Vincent in. Vincent walked through the sparsely populated streets. Only a few soldiers and merchants were in the streets. Vincent thought it was because it was such a rainy day. He doubted mothers' would let their children go out in the rain. Vincent already knew his way to the archives. His comrades and himself had passed dirty almost abandoned building filled with dust covered books while they were searching for Yuffie. It was at the edge of town close to the mountain of Da Chao.

Vincent knocked on the door and slowly opened it. The door creaked on its aging hinges as it swung open. The room reminded him of the Shinra mansion. The damp smells of dust and mold, and his most favorite stench of rotting wood and old books. Vincent smiled as he entered the dimly light room. Several candles were light in it. He wondered if anyone else was there with him. He slowly made his way down the endless shelves of old books containing countless facts from history.

"Hello!" Vincent jumped slightly as he looked over his shoulder. A fat, round man was there smiling at him. Vincent turned to the shorter man. He had a thick wispy beard and thinning hair that was hidden under a black skull cap. The man had thin squinty eyes and his face was wrinkly and shapeless.

"And who comes to visit this house of knowledge?" The man asked excitedly as he tightened his grip around a wooden walking stick.

"...I am...The great scholar, Vincent Valentine." Vincent said proudly to the old man. The older man began to laugh.

"Oh my! That's a good one. I know you, you're the hero Vincent who helped save the world!" The old man quelled his laughter and ran his index finger over his frizzy mustache. "A scholar now? Interesting. I am a scholar as well. Bruno Hobbes, pleasure to meet another man of knowledge." Hobbes extended his hand out to Vincent. Tensing slightly, Vincent shook his calloused hand.

"Well your welcome to look at these book with me. I also find this place a humble place to sleep as well. Though perhaps a man like you would be more accustomed to the hotel." Hobbes said trying to be humble, though it came out slightly smug.

"I'm no hero. I sleep in trees . . . That is if I sleep at all. This place is too good for me." Vincent replied quietly. He was offended by the old Scholar's smugness. Never in his life had anyone talked that way to him.

The old guardian of the coughed heavily as the rain patted down on him and his son. The sun had set several hours ago and they were the only ones outside. It was their place. They couldn't leave it. It was family tradition. The old man felt his son put his strong hand on his shoulder.

"Father, go home. I promise I can guard the gates by myself." His son said kindly. He wanted his father to trust him with this job. He knew his father was ill and didn't have long, he wanted to know that he could trust him.

"No, I am fine my son..." His father's body stiffened up and he doubled over coughing harshly. His son caught him as he was about to fall to the wet ground.

"Please father..." His son pleaded. The old man finally gave in and hobbled back to their meager house. His son watched to see if his father made it back in their house all right. When he was safely inside the young man diligently surveyed the fields as he stood strong.

"Hey you know what I have to say to that! Screw you old man!" Yuffie yelled at her father. She had been in the top room of the Pagoda for hours arguing with him, but his arrogance would hear nothing of her opinions. Yuffie stood in silence glaring at her father. The heavy patter of rain was the only sound in the room.

"You will do it. You will get that materia from your friends! It is yours you earned it." Godo scolded his disrespectful daughter. The four other guardians leaned patiently against the wall with their heads bowed. This was supposed to be a council meeting, but it just turned into a family feud..

"No, it's theirs! I don't care about you or this dying resort town!" Yuffie shouted at her father angrily. Some of that was true, she didn't really care about her father or the town. Deep down she did care about them. They were all she had, but her feelings were really deep down.

"Disrespect your home, and me! I raised you! This whole town did!" Godo yelled as his flabby face jiggled and turned a dark shade of pink. Yuffie narrowed her eyes and stood up to her father.

"Yeah this town did raise me! They raised me since I was six. They raised me while you stayed in that bed and got fat!" Yuffie yelled at him. Ever since she had come home, this was all it was. Every day her father wanted her to go out and reclaim all that mastered materia, but she always refused. This, of course, leads to more fights.

Godo turned his head and said nothing. This usually meant that the meeting was over so one by one the guardians filed out of the room and returned to their homes outside the Pagoda. Yuffie was the last to leave. She shot a had glance at Godo as she left. Yuffie returned to her home and went down to her materia room. She sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by all the shiny magical rocks.

"Screw him. I'm done doing this. I'll leave the town and come back when he dies to claim my Pagoda spot. Yeah! That's what I'll do!" Yuffie exclaimed as she jumped off the floor with her fist in the air.

The young guard began to cough as lightly as the cold st in with the rain. His vision was blurry with lack of sleep, but he still stared out into the distance at the dark field. The young guard snapped to attention as he saw someone coming closer. The man moved swiftly, yet slowly as if he were gliding towards him. He was wearing a long black cloak with the hood up. The young guard would've found that ominous, except that it was raining and he expected people to be cloaked. The mysterious man continued to glide towards the entrance, but the young guard stepped in front of him.

"What's your business here so late?" The young man questioned. The cloaked man looked down at him. The young guard noticed his broad chin and his lips curled into a snarl.

"All business is no business..." The black cloaked man answered solemnly. The young guard put his spear out signaling that he may not pass. The strange man turned his back and stopped before he turned around and shoved his hand in the young man's abdomen.

"I've come to take my place..." The stranger twisted his hand around and wiggled his finger inside the hot bloody hole he had made. Each of his movements was filled with the slopping sound of blood. The young guard finally hunched over onto the stranger's arm. The cloaked man slid him off onto the wet muddy ground and continued into the city. He glided slowly through the streets and stared up at the Pagoda that was once his. He saw four people coming from within it out onto the streets.

"Four...yes...The master of the Pagoda must stay at the top level." The stranger muttered to himself as they passed him. He slowly moved forward down the darkened streets and entered the bottom floor of the dimly light Pagoda. He moved up floor mut floor staring at his feet until he reached the fourth floor. The mysterious man's footsteps echoed throughout the floor.

"Who? Who's there!" A frightened voice echoed through out the room. The stranger stopped and looked around. The stranger lifted his cloaked and drew his sword almost silently except for a slight 'swaa' sound at the end. Staniv got up, prepared to fight the stranger though he couldn't see him in the dark. He saw the glint of the sword and the outline of the stranger from the light coming from the upper level.

"Godo Help, An Assassin!" Staniv yelled out. The stranger growled and with one quick thrust inserted his sword into Staniv's neck. Staniv cried out in his dying breath. Up above Godo was frightened by the noise and he ran the bell signaling his guards. The bell rang out through the city and lights went on all over it. The stranger remover his sword and noticed men piling out of buildings rushing out towards the Pagoda. The stranger could hear them climbing the stairs. So he ran and Jumped out Staniv's window and disappeared into the darkness below.


	3. Machiavelli's Principles of Love and Fea...

**A/n:** I love Philosophy. And I love you Machiavelli

_**Chapter Three: Machiavelli's principles of Love and Fear**_

"_Is it better to be loved more than feared or feared more than loved? Ideally, one ought to be both feared and loved, but it is difficult for the two sentiments to go together. If one of the two must be sacrificed, it is much safer to be feared than loved."- Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince_

_Ha! You sir, have apparently never been feared. You went into exile and wrote this book to weasel yourself back into the De Medici Family's good graces. Of course you are talking about royalty, and that is not what I am. I am fear. I harbor what everyone fears. What I would give to know what love is._

_Lucretia..._

Vincent closed Machiavelli's book and set it down on the table. His eyes stung and burned. Vincent could not even fathom how many hours he had been awake in here reading book after book. Vincent had imagined it was early morning. Hobbes had fallen asleep several hours before and his body had begun to stir as if he were to wake up. After a moment of sitting and debating, Vincent rose up from his spot on the cold, damp floor. He had finally decided that he would go for a short walk, perhaps find something to eat in the market. The tired, stoic gunman covered his eyes as the burning light of midmorning hit his eyes. The air outside was already hot and sticky for this time in the morning. It was already shaping up to be another hot day. The streets of Wutai were far from empty, people were everywhere. Shopping, eating, trying to move through the crowded streets. There was something different about everyone today. Voices were hushed and their was no laughter what so ever. What had happened?

Vincent calmly walked through the hushed crowd and stopped just outside a supply store. A strong, yet squeaky voice echoed through out the street. Vincent knew that voice, it was Shake from the Pagoda. The villagers were quickly hurried out of the way by a rather large legion of Wutain soldiers.

"Go, Go, Go! Check every building, cave, and shadow! I want him found!" Shake shouted his order's in his squeaky prepubescent voice. The soldiers split into smaller groups and jogged through the market place with their swords and armor clinking at their sides. Vincent sunk into the shadows of the darker shop as the soldiers jogged by the store. He was pretty sure they were not after him, but he could never be sure of it.

The store owner stared at him as he slunk into his shop. He was an odd looking man, in his red cloak and with his shining metal forearm. Vincent turned to the relatively old store keeper and approached the front desk. After he had picked out his supplies Vincent looked around for a moment.

"Perhaps you can answer my question, Why is everyone so on edge?" Vincent asked the storekeeper anxiously. The old man signaled for him to lean in closer. Vincent leaned over the counter slightly.

"Didn't you hear? Staniv was murdered last night!" The old shopkeep whispered harshly. Vincent vaguely remembered him, all he knew was that he was a Pagoda Guardian.

"I'd watch out, their looking for anyone suspicious. Plus this morning Lady Yuffie disappeared as well." The old man continued as Vincent stood in silence. Vincent picked up his brown paper bag full of food and left, nodding his head to the old man.

_A murder? At the Pagoda? Why must people stir up trouble while I am around. Then there is Yuffie, so she was around. Where did she disappear to? _

"**_Perhaps she was captured"_** Chaos snorted inside Vincent's mind.

"**_Or murdered! Oh, now that would be a sight I would like to see! Ravaged bloody flesh!" _**Hellsmasker cackled in his high toned scratchy voice.

"**_Ha! Someone is probaly using her luscious body for a sex toy!" _**The Galian Beast****snarled lustfully.****Death Gigas was quiet as usual****he never really said much.

Vincent ignored them. He thought nothing, they were just blood crazed, sex-starved beasts. Vincent casually made his way back to the library. He was actually quite aware to avoid any of the military personnel, but he couldn't show his caution with out suspicion arising. He entered the quiet, smelly library and found that Hobbes was gone. Perhaps they had arrested them, but then again he liked it better with no one around.

The old guardian of the gate hobbled his way up the Pagoda stairs, assited by two strong young soldiers. He slowly made his way up to the fourth floor where he saw that blood stained the floor where he imagined that Lord Staniv had fallen. The old man reached the fifth floor and kneeled infront of Godo. The two soldiers that had assisted him stood near the door in silence. Godo looked as if he were in some kind of meditation. It was not a peaceful meditation though, his brow was wrinkled with stress and his lips were curled into a snarl.

"L-Lord Godo, you wished for my presence." The tired, sickly old gate guardian whimpered. He was in even more distress, his son was dead. Now he had no heir to his family. It was all his fault. This whole mess was his fault. Lord Godo now rose from the floor with his eyes open. His broad shoulders were pronounced by the black shirt coat his was wearing and his black hair was slicked back against his head.

"Why weren't you at your post last night?" Godo said strongly, he still had the same hard face he had had on when he was meditating. It was an cold and unforgiving face.

"I was ill, I had placed trust in my son to guard the gate." The old man said with his head bowed to his elder.

"Ill or not it was your job to be there." Godo said louder and more sternly this time. The gate guardian knew some form of yelling was coming next.

"I'm sorry, my son...He wanted to prove himself." Godo gritted his teeth at this comment and picked the old man up by his collar.

"Because of your family's impudence STANIV WAS KILLED! And Now Yuffie is missing!" Godo yelled at the guardian shaking him roughly from side to side. The two guards rushed forward and forced him to set the old man down. Godo snarled and waved his arm, signaling for them to leave his sight.

Yuffie stood stoically on the top of Mt. Da Chao. He grimly stared down at the town before her. Early this morning, without her father's knowledge she had decided to leave the town. Not on a search for Materia, but to go find her own life. It was unbeknowence to her that a guardian had been killed and she was considered missing. After moments of her false stoic facade, Yuffie's face turned into a smile.

"Aahahaha! Pops I ain't doing your job no more! Nuh uh! Not no more! Lalalala!" Yuffie squealed happily as she jumped upside down on the bent thumb of Da Chao.

On the head of one of the other nameless guardians stood the cloaked figure who still had the blood of Staniv on his hands and sword. His cloak was still placed lightly on his head and his bloody sword lay next to him. He was watching this rather unusual girl jump and down on his thumb. Truthfully, he was waiting for someone. Jumping out of windows came with its benifits and hindrances. The strangers quickly looked over to the side when his ears picked up the sound of someone scrambling up the rocky surface. It was his fat, pug-nosed companions Hobbes.

"It is about time, I am in dire need of many repairs." The stranger said to the panting Hobbes as he finally made it up to the top. The stranger held out his arm, it had sparks and many odd broken wires sprouting from the cracked synthetic flesh. Hobbes put his ear to it, there seemed to be an odd 'whhhhr' sound as well. Hobbes went directly to work as the stranger watched the odd girl continue her dance, whilst singing an annoying song.

"Ah! Finished!" Hobbes said proudly, as the stranger flexed his newly repaired hand.

"Just in time, that song is really annoying me..." The stranger clamored to his feet. He stared to wave his hands in a circle, a light blueish sort of ball appeared between his mobile hands. The stranger leaned down with the ball of air still between his palms. He pushed the ball forward and a rush of tornado force winds was sent directly at Yuffie.

Still cackling about her mission to leave the town, Yuffie didn't really notice the wind until it started to pick up. A sudden burst of wind caused her to lose balance on the thumb, but luckily Da Chao had other fingers for her to wrap her arms around. Yuffie held on for dear life until the winds died down.

"What an odd storm!" Yuffie laughed as she pulled herself up onto Da Chao's palm.


End file.
